Commercially available 3D printers, such as the ProJet™ 3D Printers manufactured by 3D Systems of Rock Hill, S.C., use inks, which are also known as build materials, that are jetted through a print head as a liquid to form various 3D objects or parts. Other 3D printing systems also use an ink that is jetted through a print head. In some instances, the ink is solid at ambient temperatures and converts to liquid at elevated jetting temperatures. In other instances, the ink is liquid at ambient temperatures.
Some inks can include one or more colorants or pigments to provide colored printed parts. However, many such inks are much more highly pigmented than necessary or desired to provide colored printed parts. Moreover, the presence of pigments in many inks can interfere with the jettability, stability, and/or curability of the inks. In addition, the pigment load of some pigmented inks can require different types and/or amounts of photoinitiators to obtain appropriate curing of inks having different colors, which can result in decreased efficiency and/or increased cost of a 3D printing process.
Therefore, there exists a need for improved inks for 3D printing, including for colored 3D printing applications.